Freaks: Season 2
by AutumnRain171
Summary: The story picks up where Season 1 left off. Might be a bit slow in the plot development in the beginning but should pick up in later chapters. Also will be rated M later on for Nick/Lindsay content. If anyone is interested in volunteering their time to Beta it, any feedback is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

This was a great summer. Even though Lindsay was stuck at home grounded until school starts, it was all worth it. Oh so worth it. She sucked on her pencil daydreaming about all the fun time she spent with Kim following the Deadheads. Sitting on her bed now, in her parents' house, with the sound of the video games heard from her brother's bedroom next door, she felt happy. Excited. Alive. And she did not even need to get out of the house that much. She spent 2 weeks touring around the country, sleeping in tents and twice!-Under the star-lit sky. Even sleeping in the old hippie van, after spending all days outdoors, was not too bad. She felt lightheaded and a little dizzy. Maybe from all the fresh air, maybe from the feeling of freedom, maybe from the weed – okay, maybe that was it, but also all of these factors combined. She knew what she wanted to do now. She did not need to get into a good school, get student loans, get a good job and all of these things she is expected to do right after high school. And later on, she did not have to find a stable but temporary job, find a good husband and then abandon any attempts on building a career so that she can have children and live in a picture-perfect Midwestern suburban bungalow. It might be good for some people, but not for her. There are, in fact, other options. She knew it all before, of course, but she did not realize it quite so fully until she actually saw the other ways people lived and talked to them. She did not have a definite plan yet either and it was okay. She did not have to have everything figured out at the age of 17. She can take a gap year after school, travel, try different jobs, see what it's like out there in the real world and make up her mind when the time comes. Or she can go to school and only study the things that she actually cared about. Like art, culture, music, international studies. She was giddy just thinking about all these options, she did not even want to decide anything, she was enjoying it way too much.

But right now, being at home, with all the time on her hands, she was quite content. She sighed, put the pencil down along with her blank notebook and got off the bed. It was a quiet summer evening – with her window wide open she could hear the subtle chirping of tiny birds on the tree in her front yard and she could smell the fresh evening air. She stretched and came closer to the window, leaning against the windowsill. Why was she so worried the same time last year? So what this is her senior year coming up? She is only 17, her whole life ahead of her. She needs to enjoy it now, without putting the boundaries and regulations on her own self. She can do whatever she wants, date whoever she wants and explore the world to its fullest.

She thought of the guy she met during the tour with whom she went out for a little bit. He was a great guy and very fun to be around, but even though he was hitting on her pretty hard, in the beginning, he either lost interest very fast or was just acting very aloof and distant by Lindsay's standards. Either she made him bored this fast, or he was just not that into her, despite his words. Or maybe she just wasn't used to guys she dated being aloof around her? Nick was so into her when they went out, she thought she wanted to move to a different state. But now looking back at his behavior from a new perspective – having had short (but nonetheless) relationship with another guy – Nick was rather sweet and simply acted following his emotions. He wasn't that experienced after all, and the experience he had before her was not that great… Lindsay shook her head a little bit – there is no way she is thinking about Nick again. There is no point – he was still with Sara, as far as she knew, happy and over her. Although she could not really understand what these two had in common, Nick did seem to be spending a lot of time with his girlfriend this summer. He took a 2-weeks long trip to visit his brother in Ohio, but she barely saw him even after he got back. Assuming that he was hanging out with Sara, Lindsay did not pry. She wanted to focus on her own interests right now. She wanted to learn to play guitar. She wanted to create art in different shapes. She wanted to travel and meet new people. Everything else is secondary right now.

"Pss" the sound came from the bush beside her window. Lindsay hung over the windowsill to look to the side of the house.

"It's me, are your folks asleep?" a girl's voice came from the bush.

"Yeah I think so. Or almost," replied Lindsay, smiling.

"Awesome," Kim came out of the bush, peeking inside the room through the window, "What are you up to? Wanna hang out?" she did not wait for Lindsay to reply, but leaned on the windowsill, looking up to the sky dreamily.

"Yeah, in a little bit. Just want to make sure they're out," Kim might have been not listening.

"What are _you_ up to?" Lindsay smiled, looking at her friend. She recognized that smile on Kim's face. It meant the girl was happy, but also was up for no good.

"Oh, just thinking…"

"About…?" Lindsay thought she might know what it was about, but did not really want to know the details.

"It was awesome, you know. I can just tell that our relationship went to a whole new level, in like, a day!" Kim was beaming excitedly.

"Well, you only saw him for like, a day… and then talked on the phone," Lindsay was not too sure that could actually be enough to build up any kind of relationship, let alone romantic. But Kim was as certain as a 17-year-old girl can be when she has a huge crush on a boy older than herself.

"We had this a-amazing conversation tonight about, you know, everything, and it was... I mean Daniel could never talk like that about, you know… that."

"Like what?"

Lindsay did not really want to know, she had a suspicion that she'd prefer to keep this information between Kim and her crush, but she knew for sure that if she does not let Kim talk about it now, there will be even more to hear later.

"I don't know, he was just so open, and we just talked about everything, and about how we feel about, you know?" Kim pushed her hair out of her face, sighing, "I wish I was still on the tour, or wherever it is that he is in right now."

"Well, maybe you guys can keep in touch, you know. You're already kinda doing it."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid if we don't see each other, the time will pass and we'll loose connection, you know?" Kim was frowning now, clearly concerned about her relationship.

 _Wow, she is pretty serious_ , Lindsay thought, almost surprised. She was under the impression it was just a fling, that they will return to their hometown and Kim will get back together with Daniel and forget about the other guy.

"Maybe it can stay as this incredible summer fling you'll remember about till you're an old lady," Lindsay said, half-serious.

"Yeah right!" Kim laughed. "Like I'm gonna turn into some old lady! Live fast die young, woohoo!" She threw her hands in the air like she was at a rock concert, but Lindsay shushed, laughing.

"Shh, don't wake up my parents!" She swung her leg over the windowsill and got out, landing on the ground outside her house with a soft thud. "Let's get outta here!"

"Yeaaah!" Kim rolled her jacket sleeves up and jogged towards her car, humming a Who song out of tune.

Lindsay closed her bedroom window gently and followed her friend towards the street. The air was cool and fresh, the night was young and their friends, she assumed, were waiting.

"Wanna go see what the guys are doing at the parking lot?" Kim asked when they both got inside of her Gremlin.

"Sure," Lindsay shrugged, "How's Daniel dealing with the cold shoulder you're giving him?"

"Pff," Kim started the car and drove off, without bothering to put on her seat belt. "I don't care about that dude, he can do whatever he wants. I just know once the school starts he'll crawl back, but I am just not that interested anymore."

Lindsay knew it was probably not entirely true, but did not say anything. She liked sitting on the passenger side of the car, looking on the road and listening to her friends talk. She did not really want to answer, though. Kim knew it by then, too, so she continued:

"I mean, if he was dating someone that'd probably piss me off, but I know he's not, so whatever. Nobody but us is in town anyway, we're the only losers stuck here."

Lindsay nodded, agreeing. It's true, everyone she knew from school besides the Freaks was out of town with their families. But she also knew for sure that these kids were bored to their bones, while her gang had the time of their lives just a few weeks ago, so it was not too bad being back now. Besides, no one will accidently catch them trying to get into a bar or anything like that. Their loneliness had its perks, really.

"There they are," Kim rolled down her window and yelled, sticking her head out, "Hey losers!"

Lindsay saw Daniel's car parked at the far corner of the parking lot next to a boring chain mall. Ken and Daniel were sitting on the hood of the car, chatting with Nick and Sara standing nearby. Lindsay cringed a little, realizing that she is going to have to hang out with Sara, too, tonight. She did not expect Nick to be there, let alone bring his girlfriend. But it was still pretty early, so maybe they will leave soon? Does Sara even hang out after dark?

Kim parked the car next to Daniel's and opened her door, screaming jokingly at Ken, who was eating chicken wings out of a bucket. Lindsay hesitated a little before opening her door and getting out of the car to face her friends. _Chill_ , she thought, _Sara is cool, you've known her since elementary school, you were even friends at some point_.

"Hey, guys! How - How's it going?" Nick greeted them, smiling as usual.

"Could be better," Kim smirked at Sara, "what's she doing here?"

"Hey, Kim, be nice," Lindsay finally got to the hood of Daniel's car too and leaned against it. Nick sighed. Sara looked lost.

"Oh come on," Kim jumped up a bit and sat on the hood of the car, too, just in front of Daniel.

"Yeah, Kim, she is my girlfriend, so be cool, alright?" said Nick, and a sudden feeling of deja-vu came upon Lindsay. She blinked a few times and looked away.

A few minutes of awkward silence followed, while Ken was chewing his chicken, Sarah looked like she wanted to run away, Nick examined his shoes uncomfortably and Kim lit a cigarette.

"Well, this is fun," Ken noticed sarcastically.

"You know what guys, I think I'm gonna head home," said Sara. "My mom and dad are gonna be worried."

"Yeah I'll walk with you," said Nick quickly and waved at his friends.

"Wow, what a knight in shining armor," Kim laughed as the couple walked away.

"Come on, Kim, he'll be back, you know it," Daniel said, exhaling a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke.

"Does she always leave at 11 or something?" Lindsay asked, curious. She did not even have a chance to feel bad for not talking to Sara.

"Yeah like, every day. Curfew or whatever," Kim laughed again.

"Yeah I think their relationship consist of dance practice and half an hour hang out in the evening, that's all," Daniel frowned, "Dude needs to end it, and soon."

"Why?" asked Lindsay without thinking. The gang laughed bitterly, "Seriously, didn't you kind of feel the same way about me in the beginning, too? Give her a chance, will you?" Lindsay suddenly felt the urge to defend Sara.

"Yeah, Linds, it took both Nick and me to keep you in the group, but I ain't sticking up for miss Disco Queen and Nick does not seem to be up for the job, either. Chill, smoke a bit," Daniel extended his arm, offering Lindsay a wrinkled joint. She took it, deep in thought, and sat on the hood of Kim's car.

"Where's your tuba girl, Ken?" asked Kim, changing the subject.

"Band practice," Ken looked at his watch, "Should be done now. Maybe I should go see her," he thought for a second, picking up another chicken wing. "Or later."

"How about some Whooo?" said Daniel, reaching in through the open window to turn on the stereo in his car. The soft sounds of music seemed to have made everyone shut up for a few minutes, thinking their own thoughts. Daniel looked at Kim, Kim smoked, looking up at the sky, Ken ate the wings, chewing absent-mindedly, and Lindsay looked at the blinking old street light, thinking about how things change and people change. She rolled the joint between her fingers, not daring to light it up. She was always hesitant to take the first drag, but once she did, she enjoyed it. It did not come to her right away, but with practice – ha! – she finally saw what Nick and others saw in it. It really was fun, in moderate amounts.

"Hey, you're back," Lindsay startled at the sound of Daniel's voice. Out of nowhere, Nick appeared from behind Kim's car and leaned on it next to Lindsay. "How's your lady?"

"Okay I guess," Nick shrugged, "You guys didn't have to be such jerks. She has a disco competition tomorrow, so she is nervous as it is and she needs to practice…"

"I'm out," Ken jumped off the car and pushed the bucket of wings into Nick's hands. "See ya."

"Right, awesome," Nicked looked distraught, and Lindsay suddenly remembered about the joint in her hand. Without saying a word, she handed it over to Nick.

"Thanks," he smiled sadly, "That's what I need, have not had one in like, a week!" – he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gas lighter.

"She's got what you need," Kim smirked, and received a soft kick from Daniel.

"Oh hey, almost forgot, You guys want some beer? Nick's brothers left a keg in his basement, so we moved it to my car the other day so his Dad doesn't find it," Daniel jumped off the car and opened the trunk.

"Awesome!" Kim followed, throwing away her cigarette.

"Oh, right," Nick smiled uncomfortably and handed the joint back to Lindsay, "You'll pass?"

"I'll pass," Lindsay confirmed, nodding, and accepted the joint. She dragged a bit and held her breath for a few moments before exhaling. Not that she was against drinking, but she did not like the smell of beer. So much has changed since last year, she thought, looking at her friends with red plastic cups, pouring beers and cheering each other. She took another drag and felt better almost instantly.

 _Next chapter coming soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Happy New Year folks! Hope 2017 has been treating you well so far._

 _Second Chapter is here! All mistakes are mine, don't be shy to point them out to me. And thank you for reading!_

 _..._

A few hours later, the gang stumbled into Nick's basement, shushing each other and giggling uncontrollably. In attempts to not wake up Nick's parents, they were trying not to make too much noise, but Nick knocked over a vase right at the entrance and Kim had a terrible fit of hiccups, which was only making her giggle more. Lindsay was the quietest of them, trying to navigate through Nick's house and pulling Kim behind her, who was pulling a sleepy Daniel by his sleeve. Finally reaching the basement the three of them fell on the sofa in a lump of tangled limbs, laughing, while Nick shut the door behind them and turned on the dim lights. Finally untangling herself from Kim, Lindsay moved over to make room for Nick to join, feeling slightly awkward for reasons she did not care to understand right now. Everything was so great and she loved her friends so much, she wanted to fit them all on one bed and… cuddle? At least that's what she saw Kim and Daniel apparently doing, and she kinda felt like joining them. Wrapping her arms around Kim's back, she closed her eyes just for a minute and suddenly felt very warm, like a big, heavy, hot blanket was laid behind and around her.

The next thing she knew it was morning. It came in harsh – someone was screaming, people were jumping around her… Slowly things came into focus and she realized: they fell asleep last night. They fell asleep on the bed in Nick's basement, all stoned, and his parents found them – a tangled mess with chips and empty beer bottles around them. Worse than that – she was lying on top of Nick, her arms wrapped around him, while Daniel was putting on his pants – wait, what the hell?! and Kim yelling at him. Nick's father's voice resonated across the hallway and disappeared upstairs, followed by a loud bang – he shut the door to the basement so hard all four of them jumped. Lindsay sat down, horrified.

"What time is it?" Nick asked, rolling off the sofa and picking up the chips on his way.

"It's just quarter to 6," Lindsay checked her watch, "Wow your parents get up early."

"Oh yeah. I gotta go talk to them. Shit," he got up, straightened his shoulders, preparing for the storm, and walked up the stairs into the house, closing the door behind him.

"Shit," Daniel agreed, picking up his jacket and car keys, "I gotta get home, Mom's gonna freak out."

Kim stretched and looked into the mirror in the corner of the room.

"You need a ride, Linds?" she asked casually.

"Er, no, I'm just gonna walk home and hope my folks aren't up yet. They usually get up around half past 6, so… fingers crossed."

Loud voices were heard from upstairs, arguing.

"Shit, Nick's in trouble," Daniel headed towards the staircase. "Do you think I can sneak out without them noticing me?"

"Hey, we need to go, too," Kim whispered loudly as they approached the top of the stairs. Lindsay frowned. She didn't want to leave Nick to deal with his parents all by himself. After all, it was their fault, too. But she also needed to get home before she got busted and grounded even more than she already is.

"We can't just sneak out, Daniel," Lindsay whispered. "His Dad is a psycho!"

"Yeah, that's exactly why I am outta here," Daniel opened the door carefully and peeked outside, "All clear!"

They squeezed through the door quietly, listening to the heated conversation in the living room.

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that you cannot party all night and drag your friends down with you, too," said Mr. Andopolis, "Do you not remember the conversation we had about this girl?"

"I remember, Dad," Nick's voice was barely heard, but Lindsay could not help trying to listen. "We didn't do anything, we just fell asleep by accident, I swear."

"And what am I supposed to tell her father if he asks me why I am letting you have her over for the night?"

"Actually," Lindsay stepped into the living room all of a sudden, surprising everyone, including herself, "I'd appreciate if you did not tell my father anything. He is dealing with some, er…" she stumbled, "Health problems, so I don't want him to worry too much. It was an accident, and I assure you it will never happen again."

Behind her, Kim and Daniel froze, gaping. Nick, too, was shocked to see them upstairs, but lowered his gaze immediately, realizing they must have heard at least the last part of his conversation with his father.

"Well, young lady, I do not approve of such behavior, and I expect to never see any of you young people in my house after 9 pm. Is this clear?" Mr. Andopolis did not look quite as angry anymore and Nick looked relieved. Obviously, he expected more of an outburst from his father.

"Clear, clear," all four nodded, staring at their feet, Kim and Daniel slowly moving towards the exit.

"Thank you, Mr. Andopolis," Lindsay said, looking at Nick briefly, "Goodbye."

She turned around and followed her friends out of the house. It's not even 6 o'clock yet, and this is already a hell of a day. She HAD to get home as fast as possible.

...***...

Luckily, Lindsay managed to sneak back into the window of her bedroom unnoticed just minutes before her parents' alarm went off. Throwing her clothes into a pile under her bed, she quickly put on her pajamas and slid under a blanket. Her head was buzzing, her bed felt too cold and, unable to believe her luck, she was exhausted, but could not even close her eyes. Although there were things that worried her more, she could not get rid of the smile on her face and could not make the memories of Nick's arm around her disappear. His sleepy smile and untidy hair. She's never seen him so vulnerable and adorable at the same time. Wait, did she just mentally call him adorable? _Urgh_ , she turned over on the other side, tucking her blanket under her chin. Why was he always on her mind? Even when they weren't hanging out, somehow she always thought about where he was and what he was doing. Wasn't she over him? Can you really be over the guy who was your first love? Wait, was it love? He definitely wasn't her first crush. He wasn't even a crush, come to think of it. He just stormed into her life, so big and loud, with his drums, and his… body and his bear-hugs. Stormed into her routine, scared her half to death and got kicked out… wow, that sounds meaner than it was, but essentially yes, he did get kicked out. But he left only warm and sweet memories of their time together. How was it possible? Was she blind? Was it stupid to break up with him? But then, she didn't really do it, he broke up with her. Why in the world did Mom have to interfere?

"Lindsay, honey… are you up yet?" the voice behind her door said. Her Mom opened the door a little and peeked in.

"Eeer yes, I am… kinda," Lindsay tried to get up without revealing the pile of clothes underneath her bed.

"I am thinking maybe we could go get breakfast at Grainfields today? Your father has been so miserable whole week about that work stuff, maybe it'll cheer him up," Mrs. Weir smiled hopefully.

"Yeah sure… let me just take a quick shower," Lindsay dropped a throw over the side of her bed, totally inconspicuously.

"Don't you usually shower before bed?" Mrs. Weir seemed a little surprised, but turned away and started walking towards the kitchen, not really waiting for her daughter's reply.

"Yeah, yeah… hot night," mumbled Lindsay and suddenly realized how true it was, in a way.

Nick was back in her thoughts all through her shower, and she could not really understand that foreign feeling it gave her. Was her stomach upset? Was she still a little stoned? Hearing her parents in the living room getting ready to leave the house, she did not have much time to think about anything. Quickly pulling her hair in a low ponytail she took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the day.


	3. Chapter 3

New _chapter is here! Thank you all for the reviews and messages 3 Hope you all had a nice weekend!_

*l*l*l*

Later at breakfast, Lindsay found out why her father had troubles at work. Most of his employees were off for the holidays, and a few of those who were supposed to stay and work, bailed. Nick picked up a couple of shifts here and there, and so did Lindsay, but they never overlapped. On the next day, though, Lindsay bumped into him on her way to work. Rocking the uniform T-Shirt made with her father's custom design work, he was just leaving the store when he spotted Lindsay.

"Heey Lindsay, how's it going?" his face lit up and she had to force herself not to grin in return. _Play it cool_ , she instructed herself.

"Oh Nick, hi, it's going… well I am going with it… you know," she gestured towards the store and mentally kicked herself. Way to play it cool.

"I see that!" Nick replied, not noticing anything. "So… I ate a sandwich I found in the fridge, I am so sorry, was it yours?"

"The one wrapped in green paper?" Lindsay frowned, "No, it's been there for like, a week. I was going to throw it out," she cringed.

"Oh okay," he laughed, "I was so hungry. Glad I didn't steal anyone's lunch, you know," he jammed his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, making the T-shirt stretch out across his broad chest.

"Oh yeah no, sure, no worries," Lindsay's thoughts clouded, she forced herself not to look at his chest and arms, and lifted her gaze towards his face. Friendly, smiling face, with adorable dimples on his cheeks and a light stubble. Here is that word again, adorable. Ok, this has got to stop.

"What are you doing later tonight?" he asked, "It's the last weekend before school starts and we thought we're gonna take the cars and drive to see this new band, The Creepers, play. You are so coming with us!"

"Um," Lindsay hesitated. Could she sneak out of her bedroom again? Was there any chance this escape will also remain unnoticed? She wasn't into testing chances, but she also really _really_ wanted to go. "I'll see what I can do. I'm just afraid I won't be as lucky this time as I was before. Good luck tends to end eventually."

Nick lowered his gaze.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It's just," he stopped for a moment, hesitating, kicking a small rock on the ground with his foot. "It's been a little rough, you know, these last few days," Nick sighed, "With my father, well, you know what he's like, and Sara… I mean, she is great, actually, just…"

 _Ok I don't want to hear that_ , Lindsay thought, _Please don't tell me about your relationship, whatever it is_ , she prayed, internally.

"Nevermind… She's not really into rock… Anyway, I just thought it would be so great if all us friends went out and spent this awesome night together before our senior year starts, you know?" Nick confessed, looking up at Lindsay, "Don't you?"

"Yeah, I do, too," Lindsay smiled. She knew exactly what he was talking about. And even though for some reason it hurt a little that he was currently with a girl who wasn't really even his friend, but they still shared something special. They had this.

*l*l*l*

"Millie," Lindsay whispered into the phone receiver, "Um, how's it going?"

"Lindsay? Is that you? Why are you whispering?" Millie's voice on the other end of the line sounded concerned.

"Oh I'm just" – cough – "Feeling a little under the weather today. I'll be okay though," Lindsay cringed at her own lie. No way Millie is going to eat this one! "Anyway," she continued, "I am just wondering if that party at Jessica's house is still happening?"

"Yeah it is. But you should probably stay home if you're not feeling well. Do you need anything?"

"Um," Lindsay hesitated for a second, feeling bad for using Millie, her great friend who always came to rescue her, "I do actually. My parents really want me to go to Jessica's and make friends with the new Mathletes, you know, but I'd really rather stay home and rest. They'll be out tonight, but might call the party to check on me. Would you mind telling them I am there, but cannot pick up the phone?"

"So," Millie sounded doubtful, "Are you just going to be at home then?"

"Yes, I think I'll call it an early night and go to sleep," Lindsay crossed her fingers, hoping that her friend will just roll with it, just this once.

"Okay, I guess no harm done then," said Millie, "Maybe you can join us at the Mathlete welcome back party next weekend instead?"

"Um, yeah, maybe," Lindsay could not believe her luck, "I'll try my best!"

"Okay then. Get well soon!"

"Bye Millie. And thanks, I owe you," said Lindsay sincerely.

"Bye!"

*l*l*l*

Linsday did not plan to dress up for that concert. She really didn't, yet somehow just an hour after she hanged up the phone with Millie, she found herself sitting on a stool in front of a vanity mirror in Kim's room, giddy with anticipation.

"This color looks awesome on you," said Kim, applying some mascara on her eyelashes.

"You think?" Lindsay looked at herself in the mirror, trying to see how a red ripped t-shirt with The Who looked on her. She tried pulling her black tight skirt down her thighs, but it did not help, it will still short. "This just isn't me, you know?"

"Yeah I know," Kim winked, "Time to grow up, huh?"

"Can't I grow up wearing jeans?" Lindsay whined, bending to pick up her chuck taylors and trying to put them on, "I know, I know, don't say anything."

Kim smiled knowingly and handed over the mascara tube to her friend.

"You gotta put some on, too, Nick's gonna love it."

"Nick wouldn't care," Lindsay winced, "I mean… who cares what he'd think anyway."

"Ha yeah, you're right," Kim said, putting on her own shoes now, "Not when you're wearing this skirt."

"I'm not going there, or dressing to impress a guy who is taken and I have no interest in anyway, okay?" Lindsay straightened up and added, "So let's just drop it and go."

She moved confidently towards the door and Kim followed, still smiling.

*l*l*l*

They met the rest of the gang at the parking lot, assembled into 2 cars to save gas and headed out of town. The evening was warm and the sunset light gave it a magical vibe. Lindsay was in the same car with Nick, Ken and Amy, aka the Tuba girl, sitting in the passenger's seat next to Nick, who volunteered to drive to the concert. Lindsay volunteered to be the designated driver on the way back, considering how she felt that her head was cloudy enough these days even without the alcohol. The last time they hang out, she still wasn't sure what happened and how it happened, and she had a feeling that she did not really want to know.

The couple on the back seat was practically tied at the tongue and did not utter a word the whole 20 minute drive, which made it a little awkward at first. Lindsay did not speak either, looking out the window on the road ahead, deep in her own thoughts. Nick, seemingly concentrated on the road, gave her a side glance every once in a while, but did not disrupt the silence. He turned up the volume on the stereo to cover up the kissing noises from behind them, which helped a lot, and just a few minutes later Lindsay completely forgot that there was something going on behind them. As they arrived at the venue hosting the concert, she vaguely registered a brief conversation between Nick and Ken: Ken asked if Nick had something, Nick nodded and they exchanged something as they went out of the car. _Odd_ , thought Lindsay, but did not care enough to look back or ask what Ken needed. As they entered the club, their new fake IDs ready and presented, Ken and Amy disappeared, Kim and Daniel seemed to have had a bit of a row during the ride there and Daniel's friends Jack and Mike immediately started scanning the audience for something.

"What's up, Kim?" Lindsay asked over the sound of a DJ checking the sound system.

"Oh they are just being gross, as usual," Kim waved, annoyed at something, "Let's go get drinks!"

"Bar's over there," Nick appeared out of nowhere from behind them and led them through the room to the bar, "What can I get you ladies?"

"Gin and tonic for me," smiled Kim.

"And just a tonic for me," followed Lindsay. Nick smiled and went to the bartender to order drinks. Daniel joined him and the girls moved over to the nearest empty table.

"Where did your friends go?" asked Lindsay, trying to sit down on the high stool without having her skirt ride up her thighs too far up.

"Where do you think?" Asked Kim, but seeing Lindsay's puzzled look, replied to her own question, "To find some girls to hook up with."

"Oh," Lindsay replied simply, taken a little off guard.

"Here's your G&T, miss, and a tonic for you," Nick put the drinks in front of them on the table, "Are you guys liking the place?"

"Yeah, although some of us find it a little overwhelming," Kim laughed, making Lindsay blush.

"Oh I see I see," Daniel sat down on the stool between Kim and Nick and sipped some beer from his glass, "First time at a place like this, Lindsay?"

Lindsay looked around, timidly.

"I've been at a club before, we went together, remember," she tried to sound confident and failed.

"Not that kind of club," Daniel winked and pointed behind her. There, at the far end of the audience, half naked girls danced around a pole. Lindsay glanced at them briefly and turned back to the table, lowering her gaze. The guys let it drop finally and they chatted for while, sipping their drinks, listening to the band play.

Half way through the show Ken and Amy returned from somewhere with red faces and tousled hair, smiling stupidly at each other and everyone. Nick gave Ken a high five and smiled, making Amy blush. Lindsay wiggled uncomfortably in her chair. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it all: the club, the nakedness, people hooking up around them, how comfortable Nick and others were with the situation. She was trying to play it cool as hard as she could, when some black-haired guy in a leather jacket came up to her and asked her for a dance. Uncertain what to do, Lindsay nodded, and in a couple of minutes found herself swaying to the music on a crowded dance floor across the room from the stage. The guy's name was John and it was the first time he's been at _this_ club, too. They chatted a bit when the music wasn't too loud and continued dancing for a couple of more songs. Hot and thirsty, Lindsay made an excuse to go back to her friends' table to get a sip of water and catch her breath. Only Nick and Kim were at the table, chatting quietly about something.

"Hey," Lindsay said, landing on her high chair, "It sure is hot in here."

"I bet," Kim laughed, glancing at Nick quickly, "How's your dancing partner?"

"He's OK. His name is John, he is from this town," Lindsay answered, grinning. She was feeling much more relaxed now.

"Well don't let him steal you from us for too long," Nick said without smiling. It was hard to tell whether he was joking or not, "We need you for the ride back home," he sipped from his almost empty bottle of beer.

"Right. Don't worry guys, I'll just dance a bit more and be back before the end of the show, I promise."

*l*l*

But she wasn't back before the end of the show, she did not even realize that the show has ended. John took her out of the club to get some fresh air, and they were sitting on the curb, chatting about Kerouac and Mark Twain. The guy turned out to be a sophomore at a local college studying English, and they were getting along pretty well. Lindsay had completely lost track of time, but then the guy suddenly put his arm around her shoulders and moved in closer. "I live not too far from here, just a few blocks, actually," he murmured into her ear.

"So?" confused, Lindsay tried to move away a little bit and found herself pressed into the dirty wall of the building.

"So maybe we can continue the conversation in a more comfortable and cozy environment?"

Lindsay froze, unsure what to do next. "My friends are right there, waiting for me," she said without any confidence, but then glanced into the parking lot at Nick's car parked there, and added, "I am supposed to drive them home".

"We won't take long, relax," John moved his hand up and rubbed her shoulders a little and, not seeing much resistance, wrapped his other arm around her waist, turning them face to face. "You'll be back before they even notice"

"I… I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Lindsay stuttered, realizing where this is all heading. She turned her face away from the guy and quickly got off the curb, shaking his hands away from her body. "I should go", - she turned away and ran back into the club's back door, ignoring whatever her admirer was yelling after her.

Inside she ran into Daniel and Ken, half-carrying Nick between them. Kim was following them, yelling at Jack, Mike and some girls they picked up on their way out. "If they throw up in our car I swear to god Jack I'll make you eat it, you hear me?!"

No one noticed Lindsay's distressed look when they all stumbled outside and moved towards the cars in the parking lot a few minutes later. John was no longer there, and Lindsay sighed, relieved. Eventually, they all got into the cars and Lindsay took the driver's seat next to the sleeping Nick. Still shaking a little bit from the events of the night, she drove extra carefully, abiding all the speed limits. She chatted with Amy until the girl started drifting off to sleep on her boyfriend's shoulder. Lindsay dropped them off at Amy's house half an hour later (Ken insisted that he did not need a ride home) and drove off towards Nick's house, feeling very odd and grown up at the same time. Nick stirred awake when she pulled over in front of his house, unsure where he usually parks his car.

"Just leave the car here, I'll walk you home," Nick said sleepily.

His hair was messy, eyes puffed and a little red. He definitely drank a lot more than usual tonight, but it did not seem to have compromised his judgment.

"It's ok, it's only a few blocks," Lindsay tried to resist, but Nick opened the car, got out and walked to her side, opening the driver's door.

"Thanks for driving us," he mumbled, avoiding her eyes, as they walked side by side towards her house.

"No problem really. Did you have a good time?" Lindsay asked, relaxing a bit in a familiar environment.

"Huh," Nick snickered, "Well, the music was good, can't ask for more I guess."

"Too bad Sara couldn't make it. I didn't know there would be a dance floor, she would have enjoyed it," Lindsay tried hard to sound convincing, expecting Nick's answer.

"Yeah," Nicked smiled to himself, looking at his feet as he walked. "How was your new friend?"

Lindsay lowered her gaze, uncertain how to answer. She was thinking about it the whole ride home, but still could not understand what bothered her about John's behavior. It wasn't the fact that he wanted to get intimate with her right away. He did not insult her in any way, either. Did she not feel safe with him? Was it also the fact that a guy – practically a stranger – tried to take a bald move and push their relationship to the next level? Nick never did anything like that when they were together. She always felt very safe with him, he was more respectful and gentle than she ever expected a guy to be. After all the things she heard from Kim, she almost felt like he was not attracted to her that way, however obsessed he was with her in all other aspects, which only made her more confused. She loved making out with him, more than she ever cared to admit even to herself. And she made out with Neal's brother just a few months ago, at least she tried to, although she did not enjoy it one bit. But going to a stranger's house to do it was a completely different story. Leaving her friends for it was a different story.

"He was…ok I guess", she finally said, vaguely.

Nick looked at her wistfully, stopping on a sidewalk across from her parents' house. He did not say anything and did not pry. They said their goodbyes, Lindsay went around the house quietly to sneak into her bedroom window and Nick walked home.

It was 3 am when Lindsay finally got to her cold bed and closed her eyes. The events of the night were still swirling in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi _all! Thanks for continuing coming back to the story._

 _We are now back at school. Let's just all pretend that it is believable that they are all actually back in school. I really doubt that Daniel would have made it in the show if it continued, but let's give him a chance to at least try, okay? :) Well, all of them, really._

*.*.*.*

The first day of school was surreal. Just like every year. The only exception was that it was their last year in high school, and for Lindsay and her friends, all the annoying little details were somehow different now, not as annoying even.

Sam was happy to be back in school: he grew up quite a bit over the summer, became more confident now that he got to hang out with older guys, like Daniel. He did not look like the scrawny little kid he was last year, he was taller and somehow even more handsome. He started taking driving lessons from his Dad this summer too and enjoyed it quite a lot.

His friends Bill and Neal also found new hobbies they spent most of their time on now. Bill really got into playing basketball and event took a few lessons from coach Fredricks during the summer. He eventually gave up his resistance towards his Mom's new boyfriend and they were trying to get along. Neal decided that the best way to get familiar with the girls' bodies was to study anatomy and has gotten obsessed with some college-level books he found in the library.

Nick was just happy to be starting his senior year. Only with _a lot_ of help from Sara and a little pity from some of the teachers, he managed to get his C+ and move forward to senior year. This was a far better option comparing to the one his father prepared for him: the army. Hardly able to believe his luck, he set up strict limits to his pot consumption over the summer and decided to only smoke when all of his friends are doing it. Considering that usually at least one of them could not, or did not want to, it was a rare and special occasion. He was determined to keep his C+ average this year, continue practicing his drumming and just try and do his best. Sara was happy to support his ideas, even though he refused to participate in any future disco competitions and dancing in general. Nick did not tell her about the little falling-asleep-incident he and his friends found themselves in just over two weeks ago, figuring that it would make her upset. She would also start asking questions Nick did not know how to answer. His memory of the night was clouded, however somehow extremely pleasant, and he was too scared to ask his friends about it. It was their little secret they did not talk about.

Things were going well enough with Sara. They spent some time together during summer, but he was busy with his work, drumming and hanging out with friends, while Sara spent most of her time with her family, or dancing. She did not have many friends and definitely was eager to spend more time together than Nick could, or wanted to. In fact, she was happy to be back in school, because this meant they would be seeing each other every day.

Ken and Amy were too preoccupied with their relationship to pay too much attention to the summer being over. Amy was trying to convince Ken to join the band to get extra-curricular credit for college and he was too lazy to resist. Not overly enthusiastic about college, he did not care about the credits, but he liked watching Amy play her tuba, so he tagged along to the first band meeting before the beginning of the school year, just to check it out.

Kim and Daniel were in a state of constant arguing. Kim was trying to keep her long-distance relationship work and last while giving Daniel shit as a habit. She was also happy to start her senior year and be closer to graduation, while Daniel was just surprised that he wasn't left behind again. With a bit of summer school he did not want to talk about, maybe - just maybe - he might be able to graduate together with his friends. Not that he wanted to be in school, but, secretly, he wanted to graduate just to make his mom happy and proud. Worse case scenario, he would drop out, find a job and help provide for the family, and he was actually fine with this plan B too.

Millie started her junior year excited to be a Mathlete again, but still wanted to hang out with the Freaks every once in a while, which surprised Lindsay at first. Even though Millie was completely horrified to hear about the Grateful Dead tour Kim and Lindsay ran away for this summer, she admired the girls for their bravery and enjoyed the Dead album and their stories quite a bit. Lindsay was, as usual, allowed to hang out with Millie while being officially grounded, and the girls would invite Kim to Millie's house and chat till after dark, listening to the music.

On that first day of school, Lindsay walked down McKinley High hallway towards her locker, trying to remember herself exactly a year ago. She was still depressed then and mourning her grandmother, realizing that her old self no longer fitted her inner world. She had just gotten to know Daniel in person and had a little crush on him. They met briefly in the record store just a few weeks before school started, and she was really trying to find him in the school hallways on the first day back in McKinley. It seemed really silly to her now, the whole crush and how she was trying to fit it with his gang. Truth be told, she would have never hung out with them if Daniel did not invite her to the smoking patio a year ago. She had no idea at the time that the only real reason he was so welcoming was so he can use her to cheat on his math test, but she did not hold it against him anymore. She was also using them, in a way, to find her place in the world, to see what was on the other side of the fence. It was actually weird how she went along with the double dating and Nick's flirting when she actually liked Daniel, or at least she thought she did. Nick's goofy jokes and awkward flirting caught her attention right away, but she did not think too much of it, preoccupied in trying to figure out what was going on between Daniel and Kim. Their relationship has been a complete mystery to her until much later when she became friends with Kim and the girl shared the story of how Daniel and her were friends since kindergarten, helped each other survive troubles at home all through elementary school and eventually got together in the 8th grade. After hearing all this, Lindsay looked at them with completely different eyes: it was clear that they needed each other desperately and will unlikely let the other be happy and at peace dating someone else. Which is why now Lindsay was patiently waiting for them to get back together and stop the constant tense bickering, jealousy and making the rest of the gang pick a side. She always had to be on Kim's side and the guys always supported Daniel, no matter who they actually thought was right, and as a result, they could not hang out and have fun on the "bad" days this August. None of them were worried, though, just like Nick said a year ago, they fight like this all the time, so they just needed to wait patiently.

Lindsay, on the other hand, decided to start the year differently this time: no more boys. After Neal's brother Barry and John the Leather Jacket, she felt like she did not want to start any new relationship until she figured out what is it that she wanted from it. There is no point to lead someone on and then bail, it only made her more confused. However flattering, the guys' attention was even less welcomed than Nick's smothering. She really wanted to focus on discovering herself this year. She wanted to go out more, to try different things and find out what is it that she actually liked. She knew already that it wasn't math or science, she was not interested in school's clubs, but the world, at least the little Chippewa part of it, was open to her, and she wanted to taste it before going (or not going) to college. With that in mind, she looked over her class schedule. It looked quite a bit different this year, with art, computer and some business classes added as the electives. She was determined to try all the things she has not tried before. She shared some classes with her friends still, but some, like art, she had to go to alone. She wasn't much into it, but it scared her so much that she thought it is worth trying out, just for the sake of it.

The first half of the day was the never-ending "How was your summer?". Not many people besides her friends knew that she skipped the academic summit, so they simply assumed she spent her time studying. But the teachers all knew and she caught a few disapproving side-glances from them, not to mention a half an hour lecture from the guidance counselor.

"Glad to see you out of the old green rag," - some jock commented, passing by her in the hallway, sniggering. She changed her dad's army jacket for an old washed jean jacket on warmer days, but otherwise, her style was the same as it was last year. Deciding to simply ignore the offender, she walked towards space under the stairs her friends loved to hang out in between classes. To her surprise, only Nick and Sara were there, deep in conversation. Nick was sitting on the windowsill and Sara was leaning on it, facing her boyfriend. Lindsay considered leaving before they noticed her, turned around sharply, and bumped into Kim, who was also heading for their favorite hiding spot.

"But can't we just…" - Lindsay heard Sara start just before Kim greeted them all.

"Hey guys", - she looked at Lindsay questioningly, wondering why her friend was trying to bolt.

"Hey", - with nothing else to do, Lindsay turned around towards her ex-boyfriend and walked towards the far wall, avoiding looking at anyone.

"How's the first day going?" - Kim asked, leaning on the window sill between Nick and Lindsay.

"Um… good", Nick said, distracted. The girls obviously interrupted something, but Kim did not, or pretended not to notice.

"Are we all in the same English class this year?" - she asked.

"We are if we are all supposed to be there in 10 minutes", - Lindsay answered.

"I think I'm gonna go to my class", - Sara said quietly, picked up her bag and walked away.

"What's going on?" Kim asked Nick, following Sara with her eyes as the girl disappeared around the corner.

"Oh um," - Nick hesitated, sat down on the floor and sighed, - "She just wants to hang out and I have work and drumming lessons, and I promised Ken to help him fix his stereo…", - he shrugged, "Anyways, how's your day Linds? New classes?"

"Yeah I got into arts and business," - Lindsay answered and smiled, "Should be interesting".

"Yeah me too," - Kim chipped in enthusiastically, "I am sick of this boring crap, I want to learn something _actually_ useful".

"You still need to pass math and English though, to graduate", - Nick noted, throwing a gum wrapper at her, jokingly.

"Piss off, I'll nail it this year, I swear" - Kim pushed his shoulder in return and turned to Lindsay, "Right Linds?"

"You bet", the girl smiled, "What's your plan for this year, Nick?"

"Oh I am so gonna do better this year!" he replied eagerly, "Dad's already buying me the army uniform, but I am gonna prove him wrong, you know… And Sara's helping me out a bit, so yeah. Your Dad's been great too, we had this… really nice talk the other day about discipline… he said, um… there is this like… a scientific _fact_ that the more you try to do something, the easier it gets... for everything. I don't really remember, it's like your brain gets a workout and then you remember things better and it's easier to learn other stuff or something," - he shrugged, "So I'm hoping I'll try and it'll get easier with time".

"Wow, Nick, that's great" - Lindsay said sincerely, "I knew you can do so much better if you just decide to try."

Nick blushed slightly, looking down at his feet and shrugged again.

"Thanks."

"You have superpowers we don't know about, heh?" Kim joked, picking up her bag from the floor. "Let's go, i don't want to be late for class!"

Nick and Lindsay exchanged a glance, entertained by their friend's change of attitude towards school.

"Yeah, right… I already got the superpowers, and you have just been bitten by a radioactive school principal", Nick noted, making Lindsay giggle as they headed towards the classroom.

*.*.*

"I can't believe how much homework we already got! It's just the first day!" Kim whined, picking up a fork at the cafeteria later at lunch. She had a plate of green mush and some tater tots in front of her. Nick and Daniel were sitting on the opposite side of the table, also looking discouraged.

"Maybe it's because we are seniors so the school thinks we can do even more now", Ken suggested, although not looking too concerned.

"Dumb asses", Daniel noted, pushing his food around the plate lazily.

Lindsay joined them a few minutes later with her tray of unappetizing cafeteria food and sat down.

"You should know that! You always do homework", Nick turned to her, " Tell us, do they always give out so many assignments on the first day of class, or is this year like… special?"

Lindsay laughed. "It is special if it is your first time to pay attention to homework", she said.

"It is special if it is your first time to pay attention to homework", she said.

"So is this normal or is it just because we are trying to do better this time?" Kim asked.

"Um… Dunno," Lindsay shrugged, "they usually give homework right away, but maybe a bit more this year?" She pondered.

"Knew it!" Kim slammed her fist on the table, frustrated.

"Damn Murphy's law" Nick muttered.

Lindsay looked around the table at her friends discouraged faces.

"C'mon guys, it's not bad. It's just some stupid _How i spent my summer_ type of stuff, nothing too difficult", she started, but was quickly cut off by the daggers Kim shot at her with her eyes.

No one said anything in reply, leaving Lindsay thinking about how her friends are going to make it through this school year. It was true that they got more stuff to do, already, and it's only going to get harder. Some of the teachers mentioned things like higher expectations, fewer extensions and other fun stuff they had in store for the seniors, and Lindsay suddenly realized that her friends will need a lot of help if they decide to stick to their plans. While she wasn't sure about Daniel and Ken, she was genuinely worried about Kim and Nick. Kim was her best friend, and Lindsay truly believed that she can do much better than her family set her up to, and Nick simply could not fail this time. She watched him chew his lunch, deep in his own thoughts, and knew that none of them would accept any offers of studying together. With Ken being here, bringing this up wasn't even an option, their friend will make so much fun of them that they will hate the idea too much to even consider it as a last resort. So Lindsay bit her tongue and dug into her own lunch, thinking.

*.*.*

"Hey guys," Lindsay greeted her friends. They were standing outside the small local movie theater on Saturday afternoon, chatting. It's been a week since school started and they were all happy to hang out on the weekend. Kim kept suggesting one movie after another, and when finally it wasn't a 'foreign film', they all decided to yield and go see something. Really, they just wanted to take a break and did not care about the movie itself.

The boys were talking about the new "super hot" science teacher, so Lindsay walked over to Kim.

"Hey", the blonde girl took Lindsay's hand and led her to the side, away from their gang. "Have you heard yet?" She asked, making sure the guys were talking and could not overhear their conversation.

"What?" Lindsay asked, confused. Kim bit her lip, hesitant. "Have I heard what?"

"Well," Kim started, "I'm not sure but…" She looked behind Lindsay's back at the guys again. "It might even not be true, Daniel let it slip today, but the guys showed up and he didn't want to continue."

"Continue what?" Lindsay asked again.

"Nick called him last night and said that he is breaking up with Sara", the Blondie finally blurted out. "But seems like he doesn't want us to talk about it, like it's a secret or something", she continued, seemingly annoyed at her friend's unwillingness to share the details of his love life.

"Well then," Lindsay said, blankly, "Maybe we shouldn't talk about it then".

"This relationship was a disaster from the beginning," Kim waved her hand in exasperation. "Anyway, maybe it's not even final yet, so we'll see. Just thought you should know."

"Um…okay", Lindsay wasn't sure what to answer, so she just followed Kim back to their friends. Amy just joined them and they were ready to go into the theater.

Lindsay made small talk with Amy, all the while thinking about what Kim said. Nick was the one who wanted to break up? He didn't strike her as the guy who would easily let go of his passions, so it seemed odd to her that he would just break up with his girlfriend for no apparent reason. They seemed happy together, despite their differences… Lindsay tried her best to distract herself from these thoughts. Afterall, it might not even be entirely true. But every once in awhile she stole a glance at his profile at the theater box office and tried to read his facial expression.

They chose "An American werewolf in London" to watch, bought their tickets, picked up popcorn and drinks and went into the auditorium. Lindsay stayed back at the concession stand, picking up some gummy bears to add to her popcorn bag. It was a guilty pleasure of hers, to mix salty popcorn with sweet gummy bears. She loved the balance of flavors, it was a special treat she would always get whenever she went to see a movie with her family.

She got her snacks and went into the auditorium. It was dark and the commercials have already started. Squinting in her attempt to locate her friends, she saw the empty seat by the aisle in the back row, right next to Nick. Ken and Amy sat one row in front of them, and Daniel, Kim, and Nick were sitting together, they had the whole row all for themselves. Lindsay bent down a little trying not to block the view of the people already sitting in their seats and hurried across the auditorium towards the row her friends were sitting in. As she ascended the last two steps she stumbled and clumsily dropped her popcorn bag right on Nick's lap. The popcorn and gummy bears spilled all over him, but he managed to catch the bag halfway in the air, keeping more than a half of the content inside.

"Oh jeez I am so sorry" Lindsay whispered, embarrassed. She flopped into the chair next to Nick and looked around. The movie has just started and no one seemed to have noticed her stumble, or did not care.

"No worries… Are you okay?" Nick asked, picking up the popcorn and gummy bears off his chest and lap and throwing them back into the bag. "Didn't spill too much".

Lindsay took the bag from him and nodded, smiling.

"I can't believe you got gummy bears," Nick snickered, grabbing a handful of popcorn from Lindsay's bag. He got a few candy bars and a bottle of water sitting on the arm rest. Lindsay's smile disappeared.

"Hey!" She hit him on the shoulder lightly, "Shut up, I love it".

Nick laughed quietly and turned to the screen, chewing the popcorn. They watched the movie in silence for a while, eating the snacks and laughing at the funny parts. Nick continued stealing popcorn from her bag, and every once in a while their fingers touched, sending waves of electricity through Lindsay's body. She froze every time, catching her breath, but Nick continued eating, looking at the screen, so she relaxed.

After some time though, Nick shook the candy wraps from his lap onto the floor and leaned towards Lindsay.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He whispered. Lindsay tensed up a bit, waiting for him to continue. Was it about Sara? Was it what he told Daniel yesterday?

"Yeah?" She whispered back, hesitant.

"I didn't tell anyone yet, um…"

Lindsay turned her head, meeting his eyes in the dim theater light. He seemed really serious and excited even, but for some reason, she was afraid to hear what he had to say.

"You know how we sometimes shoot hoops with the guys after school?" He asked.

Lindsay slowly nodded in reply, confused.

"Well, I met coach Fredricks the other day by the stadium, and um…" He scratched his jaw, looking back at the screen for a second and then turning back to Lindsay.

"He saw me play a bit and wanted to talk about how I was doing and all… And ended up offering me a spot on the basketball team this year." He finished, looking at Lindsay expectantly.

"Wow," was all she could say in reply. This definitely wasn't what she expected to hear, by far. "Nick, this is great! Are you going to do it?"

"I don't know… I mean, can I? It's kind of a big commitment. Back when I was on the team i didn't have my drumming lessons or a job. And school was easier back then…" He whispered.

'Yeah, but you were just a kid back then, too", Lindsay said. "I mean, don't you want to play?"

"I'd love to, yeah… But I am just not sure I can keep up with the school work at the same time. I already screwed up so much...". He looked discouraged already, and Lindsay felt a sudden urge to take his hand that was resting on his knee less than half a foot away from hers. Deciding against it, she leaned closer to him.

"Nick, you can do anything if you decide to. We'll all help you with school, and you are such a good player, the team will be lucky to have you", she whispered back. "I'm sure your Dad will be glad to hear that, too", she added.

"You think so?" Nick asked, looking at her closely.

"Yeah, I really do", she said sincerely. Being so close to each other, whispering in the dark, made her shiver and she turned back to the screen. They have not been this close since before they've broken up, and Lindsay wasn't entirely comfortable, despite how natural it felt, considering that he wasn't single. As far as she knew, at least.

Nick leaned back in his seat, also turning back to the movie. She felt his velour shirt rub against her shoulder as he was considering what to say.

"Thanks, Lindsay," he said eventually, still looking at the screen. "And your gummy bears are amazing with popcorn, by the way."


End file.
